Haruka's Christmas
by spoiled princez
Summary: Haruka's always wondered if Christmas - and consequently, his birthday - could ever be different. Birthday fic. Oneshot.


**Finally overcame the one-month writer's block. Guess I really am fated to experience it right after updating. But then again, I got real pressured by schoolwork and other extracurricular writing stuff. Hard to be assigned the writer of seemingly every group work in every subject. :/**

**Okay, so here's the first oneshot I'll be posting here! I'm so excited and nervous, because it's rare for me to write a oneshot only (I tend to make it multi-chaptered). **

**So anyway enjoy reading~!**

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><p>The lights and decorations, the act of giving and receiving gifts, and of course the food... these are the things Haruka had always enjoyed and looked forward to whenever Christmas season rolls around.<p>

The whole world celebrates Christmas, and, at least how it seemed to innocent little Haruka, his birthday too.

Even as he started spending some Christmas Eves in the hospital, he'd never been really cut off from the holiday cheer. He'd wake up with Christmas decorations hung here and there in his private ward. The nurses and doctors and his family would be there to greet him a 'Happy Birthday' at the start of the day and a 'Merry Christmas' by evening. He would still be served tons of food for Christmas dinner.

He was happy with that.

Haruka also used to receive both birthday and Christmas cards, but then that eventually stopped as he spent less time in school, thus less opportunities of making friends who'd remember.

Yet there's still celebration all around him, in or out of the hospital.

He was happy with that.

It seemed to him that it's impossible for him to be sad in his favorite season.

As he grew up though, sometimes he wondered what it would be like to get invited to Christmas parties, or join in the crowds of people in malls as they rush to buy their loved ones gifts. Simply to be with someone else besides the hospital staff and patients, to be somewhere else besides his seemingly-cheerful hospital ward where the beeping of machines still can't be drowned out by Christmas songs on the radio.

This Christmas, he thought, just might be his opportunity to do just that. He hasn't had any recent attacks, and he finally has a new person to spend his special day with.

"Say, Takane, are you free this Christmas Eve?"

Takane blushed and dropped her headphones, stuttered, but in the end, said yes.

It might not be a Christmas party with lots of friends, but he'd at least get to spend it with his bestfriend. He's happy with that.

In fact, he was so excited, he showed up at her doorstep early.

As he followed Takane's grandmother to the living room, he saw Takane emerge from the kitchen.

"Hm? Is Takane baking something?" he took note of the flour on her shirt and apron.

Seeming to have recovered from her shock of seeing him, her face reddened from embarassment. "N-no, I was just... helping with cooking dinner!" She quickly tossed her apron aside. "A-and what are you doing here anyway? Aren't we supposed to meet at the park? In like, an hour later?"

Haruka only gave her a sheepish smile, to which she rolled her eyes. She asked for a few moments to get ready, and then they were off.

They window-shopped and walked along the snow-covered streets, only stopping by a cake shop to pitch in for a Christmas cake for Takane's grandmother.

And under a mistletoe, he kissed her... forehead.

"Now Takane and I will live happily for a long time!" Haruka smiled so innocently.

"You really don't know much about these things, huh," a red-faced Takane muttered, looking away.

He doesn't know inviting someone out on Christmas Eve and kissing under a mistletoe have romantic meanings. How would he; there was never much opportunities for him to socialize.

But even then, he was happy with that.

And, even if she's so embarassed right now, Haruka could see Takane's happy as well. That made him smile more.

Haruka ate Christmas dinner back at the Enomoto household. Right afterwards, Takane disappeared into the kitchen to retrieve their dessert.

The cake she'd denied she was busy baking earlier.

Haruka's birthday cake.

He managed to give her his biggest smile, before the world started to spin and blur into darkness.

He woke up the next morning to the all-too familiar sound of the hospital equipment.

'Ah, it happened again... I thought I won't end up here this year.'

As if on cue, Takane burst through the door, worry written all over her face.

Haruka wasn't happy with that.

For the first time, he got upset in his favorite season.

Takane had rushed to his side. After a few silent moments, she'd managed a, "Are you feeling alright?"

Haruka smiled in spite of himself. "Do you realize this is our first Christmas together?" he said, brushing the question aside.

"Haruka..."

He sighed, still smiling, and gently patted her head. "I'm sorry for troubling you, Takane. This Christmas did not end well, but I'm sure our next one won't be the same. Who knows, I just might be stronger by then."

The stronger did he become on their next Christmas together... but only she remembers that promise now. From the other side of the screen, his white-haired clone gawked at the lights outside the window, with the same wonder and innocence Haruka had in his eyes that Christmas Eve.

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><p><strong>HAPPY BIRHTDAY HARUKA!<strong>

**Yes, I know I've still got to update Masked and Hidden, but this idea can't wait any longer. And you know, kind of like an alternate Christmas and New Year's gift for you guys (it was supposed to be the updates for the aforementioned fics, sorry)...**

**Okay, so how's this fic? I hope I didn't make them OOC. Aside from being my first oneshot, this is my first time writing HaruTaka! So yeah, excited and nervous because of that too. xD**

**Please tell me what you think through reviews~ ;)**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! **


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